Winding mechanism for cloth spreading machine

ABSTRACT

A cloth spreading machine including a support for rotatably supporting a cloth supply roll, a reversible drive means for driving the supply roll in either a forward feeding direction or a reverse winding direction. The invention is also characterized by a top feed roll, means for driving the top feed roll only in the forward or feeding direction, so that the top feed roll is inoperative in the reverse or winding direction of the cloth supply roll. The invention is further characterized by a clutch mechanism including a unidirectional forward or feeding clutch and a unidirectional reverse or winding clutch and means for selectively rendering either clutch operative for driving the cloth supply roll in the respective feeding or winding directions.

United States Patent [19] Frederick WINDING MECHANISM FOR CLOTH SPREADING MACHINE [75] lnventor: Cecil S. Frederick, Murfreesboro,

Tenn.

[73] Assignee: Cutters Machine Company, Inc.,

Nashville, Tenn.

[22] Filed: May 16, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 253,794

52' us. Cl. 270/31 [51] Int. Cl. B65h 29/46 [58] Field of Search 270/30, 31; 242/67.2-67.4, 78.7

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,058,329 10/1936 Littell 242/78.7 3,627,301 12/1971 Benson et al. 3,663,006 5/1972 Benson et al. 3,684,273 8/1972 Benson et al. 270/3l June 18, 1974 Primary Examiner-Joseph S. Reich Assistant Examiner-A. J. Heinz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Harrington A. Lackey [5 7] ABSTRACT A cloth spreading machine including a support for rotatably supporting a cloth supply roll, a reversible drive means for driving the supply roll in either a forward feeding direction or a reverse winding direction.

The invention is also characterized by a top feed roll, means for driving the top feed roll only in the forward or feeding direction, so that the top feed roll is inoperative in the reverse or winding direction of the cloth supply roll.

The invention is further characterized by a clutch mechanism including a unidirectional forward or feeding clutch and a unidirectional reverse or winding clutch and means for selectively rendering either clutch operative for driving the cloth supply roll in the respective feeding or winding directions.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures cam-mm PATENIEUJun I a m SHEEY 1 OF 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a cloth spreading machine, and more particularly to a combination cloth spreading machine and winding mechanism.

Cloth spreading machines are well-known in the art. A typical cloth spreading machine includes a carriage frame and means for driving the frame so that it moves longitudinally and reciprocably between a pair of re versing or end stations over a cutting table. The frame carries a cloth supply roll, a spreader unit and means for feeding the cloth from the supply roll to the spreader unit so that the cloth is always fed in the same direction regardless of the direction of movement of the frame.

Web winding mechanisms are also well-known in the art and usually include a stationary frame including a rotatable support for a cloth web and means for driving therotatable support in such a direction as to wind the cloth web about a spindle or core to form a cloth roll.

It is not believed that a cloth spreader is known in the art which is capable of functioning as a cloth winding mechanism in addition to its cloth spreading function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cloth spreading machine which is capable of also functioning as a cloth winding mechanism.

It is also an object of this invention to provide in a cloth spreading machine having a driven rotatable support for a cloth supply roll and a separate driven feed roll, a winder mechanism including a reversible drive means for the rotatable supply support and a means for simultaneously disabling the drive of the feed roll while the rotatable support is winding the cloth.

The spreading mechanism made in accordance with this invention includes an electrical cloth feed motor having a sprocket and chain transmission including a forward unidirectional clutch and a reverse unidirectional clutch shiftable to selectively operatively engage a driven shaft drivingly connected to the rotatable cloth roll support. The specific cloth roll support is a pair of driven feed rollers mounted on the machine frame to rotatably support the bottom of a cloth supply roll.

A second sprocket and chain transmission connected to the feed roll is also driven by the same cloth feed motor. The second transmission includes an overriding clutch operatively engaging the feed roll for forward driving, or driving in the feeding direction only, the feed roll idling in the reverse direction. Consequently, when the reversible, electrical cloth feed motor is actuated to drive in reverse, the feed roll will be disabled insofar as the driving of the cloth web, while the reverse unidirectional clutch will be actuated and the forward unidirectional clutch will be de-actuated to rotate the cloth supply roll in the reverse direction causing the cloth web to be wound upon the supply roll.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a cloth spreading machine made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the spreading machine disclosed in FIG. 1 in its forward feeding mode;

FIG. 3 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary plan view of the supply roll drive transmission disclosed in FIG. 2 in its reverse winding mode;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, perspective, fragmentary view of the clutch mechanism; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in more detail, FIG. 1 discloses a cloth spreading machine 10 made in accordance with this invention, including a carrier frame 11 supported by wheels 12 and 13 for longitudinal movement along a spreading table 14. A cloth supply roll 15 is supported for rotary movement upon the cloth supply frame 16. When the machine 10 is spreading, the cloth web 17 is threaded through an edge control de vice 18, over guide bar 19, under and in frictional engagement with the top driven feed roll 20, then over the driven dancer roll 21. Web 17 then depends through a cloth spreader frame or unit 22, having tuck blades or spreader blades, not shown, for spreading the web 17 in layers 23 upon the table 14. The spreader unit 22 is adapted to cooperate with a catcher mechanism, not shown, in a conventional manner at one end of the travel or course of the carrier frame 11 to fold the end of each cloth layer 23.

An electrical main drive motor 25 is mounted on the frame 11 and is operatively connected to the rear wheels 13 through chain transmission 26, to move the carrier frame 11 longitudinally over the table 14.

Mounted in the supply roll frame 16 is a rear driven shaft 28 journaled for rotation within the frame 16 and supporting cloth feed roller sections 29. Also journaled within the frame 16 for rotation is a front feed roll shaft 30 supporting front cloth feed roll sections 31. Fixed to the respective shafts 28 and 30 outside the frame 16 are a rear sprocket 32 and a front sprocket 33 connected by endless chain 34, so that the rear and front roller sections 29 and 31 are always driven in the same direction and at the same speed.

Fixed to the sides of the frame 16 are upright standards 35 and 36 supporting opposed spindles 37 and 38 for vertical slidable movement within the standards 35 and 36, respectively, and for insertion in the opposite ends of the core of the supply roll 15, in a well-known manner.

As best disclosed in FIG. 2, the rear driven shaft 28 extends outward beyond the end of the front shaft 30 to support an outer rear sprocket 40. However, the outer rear sprocket 40 has mounted internally thereof a unidirectional forward clutch, or an overriding clutch 41 (FIG. 4), of a type well-known in the art. Thus, when the outer rear sprocket 40 is driven in the forward direction, that is counter-clockwise as illustrated by the arrow in FIG. 1, then the unidirectional clutch 41 engages the shaft 28 to drive it, and the rear roller sections 29 carried thereby, in the same forward direction to unwind the cloth from the supply roll 15.

The outer rear sprocket 40 is driven from the cloth feed motor 42 through the cloth feed drive shaft 43, sprocket and chain linkage 44, laterally shiftable supply drive shaft 45, drive sprocket 46 and chain 47.

The outer end of the cloth feed drive shaft 43 is provided with a drive sprocket 50 driving a chain 51 trained about idler sprockets 52 and 53 for driving driven sprocket 54 mounted on the top feed roll shaft 55. The pivoted dancer roll 21 is also driven from the feed roll shaft 55 through a reversing chain and sprocket transmission 56, such as that disclosed in FIG. 5.

An overriding clutch 57, of a type well-known in the art, is mounted concentrically, and preferably internally, of the driven sprocket 54, for operative engagement with the top feed roll shaft 55, so that the top feed roll 20 is only positively driven in the direction of the arrow disclosed in FIG. 1, or in other words, in the feeding direction of the web 17 when the spreading machine is spreading. Reverse movement of the sprocket 54 causes the overriding clutch 57 to override the top feed roll 20 so that the top feed roll 20 is efi'ecively disabled or disengaged from the cloth feed motor 42.

It is thus evident from the dual transmissions emanating from the single cloth feed motor 42, that when the cloth spreading machine 10 is in its spreading mode, the cloth feed roll sections 29 and 31 and the top feed roll 20 and dancer roll 21 are positively driven simultaneously in such a direction as to cause the web 17 to feed or move from the cloth supply roll to the spreader unit 22 for spreading in layers 23 upon the table 14.

As best disclosed in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, and particularly in FIG. 4, fixed on the inner face of the outer sprocket 40 is a hub 58 having an inner clutch face forming circumferentially disposed clutch teeth 59. Each clutch tooth 59 terminates at one end in an abutment 60 and tapers at the other end in a cam surface 61.

Fixed to the outer face of the rear driven sprocket 32 is another hub 63 having a clutch face from which project outward lugs 64 adapted to be drivingly engaged by the clutch teeth abutments 60. The sprocket 40 and overriding clutch 41 are dapted to slide axially of the rear driven shaft 28.

In order to move the sprocket 40 and its clutch hub 58 inwardly so that the lugs 64 will engage the abutments 60, a circumferential groove 65 is formed in the clutch hub 58 for receiving the forked ends 66 of the yoke or yoke arm 67. The yoke 67 is fixed to the remote end of an elongated control rod 68 slidable laterally within the cloth supply frame 16. The other, or proximate, end of the control rod 68 terminates in a hand knob 70 for pulling by the operator when engagement of the clutch teeth 59 and 64 is desired.

Also mounted within reach of the operator on the proximate side of the machine 10, such as on the cloth supply frame 16 is a manually operated switch 72 connected by leads or conductors 73 to the reversible cloth feed motor 42.

In order for the machine 10 to function as a roll winding mechanism, the switch 72 is turned to cause the cloth feed motor 42 to reverse its direction of rotation. As previously mentioned, when the cloth feed motor 42 reverses, the drive shaft 43 is reversed to reverse the sprocket 50, chain 51 and top feed roll driven sprocket 54, which overrides top feed roll 20, so that the top feed roll no longer functions to feed the cloth web 17 in the forward or feeding direction.

The reverse movement of the drive shaft 43 also reverses the direction of the chain 44, supply shaft 45,

sprocket 46, chain 47 and driven sprocket 40. Since the driven sprocket 40 is also mounted on an overriding clutch 41, it no longer drives the driven shaft in either direction. Accordingly, all of the cloth feed rolls 29, 31 and 20 remain idle or free-wheeling when the cloth feed motor 42 is driven in reverse.

However, the operator can convert the machine 10 into a winding apparatus by pulling the knob causing the yoke 67 to pull the clutch teeth 59 into engagement with the lugs 64. The clutch teeth 59 are rotating in the reverse direction, that is counter-clockwise as viewed in FIG. 4, since they form a part of the reversely driven sprocket 40. As the teeth 59 come into engagement with the lugs 64 fixed to the sprocket 32, which is fixed to the driven shaft 28, the driven shaft 28, and consequently all of the cloth feed rolls 29 and 31, are rotated in the reverse direction, causing the web 17 to be wound upon the supply roll 15.

When the knob 70 is manually released, and the switch 72 returned to its forward or feeding position, the motor 42 is again driven in its forward direction causing the sprocket 40 to again be rotated in its forward direction. As the sprocket 40 rotates in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, the cam surfaces 61 of the teeth 59 ride over the lugs 64 forcing the hub 58 axially outward of the driven shaft 28 automatically disengaging the teeth 59 from the lugs 64. Again, when the sprocket 40 is driven in the forward direction, its overriding clutch 41 engages the shaft 28 to rotate the cloth feed rolls 28 and 31 in their forward feeding direction.

The reason that the dual unidirectional clutches 41 and 58 63 are employed is because of the necessity for the forward unidirectional clutch 41 in the feeding of the cloth web 17. Normally, the top feed roll 20 is driven at the same speed or slightly faster than the cloth feed roll sections 29 and 31 in order to maintain the portion of the web 17 between the cloth supply roll 15 and the top feed roll 20 in tension. If the driven shaft 28 were directly driven, without the overriding clutch 41, any slippage of the web upon the roll sections 29 and 31, such as caused by vibration, bumping or jostling, might unduly stretch the portion of the cloth web 17 between the supply roll 15 and the top feed roll 20. The unidirectional or overriding clutch 41 permits the cloth feed rolls 29 and 31 to be overfed slightly by the increased tension until the normal tension is restored. Therefore, when the spreading machine 10, including the unidirectional clutch 41, is to be converted into a winding apparatus, the shiftable clutch faces 58 and 63 are required.

Of course, the shiftable clutch faces 58 and 63, together with the overriding clutch 41 also permit idling of the cloth feed rolls 29 and 31 while the cloth feed motor 42 is driven in reverse, and before pulling of the control rod 68. Such an arrangement permits better control over the feeding of the cloth, the winding of the cloth, and the conversion between the two functions.

It will be noted that because of the cam surfaces 61 on the cam teeth 59, the clutch teeth 59 and 64 will automatically disengage without any positive pushing of the knob 70 by the operator, or without any spring device for biasing the clutch hubs 58 and 63 to an inoperative or disengaged position.

What is claimed is:

l. A combined cloth spreading machine and winding mechanism comprising:

a. a frame supported for longitudinal movement over a cloth-laying surface,

b. a spreader unit on said frame to spread cloth in layers upon said cloth-laying surface,

c. support means for rotatably supporting a cloth supply roll on said frame,

d. said support means including a driven shaft for rotating said supply roll in a feeding direction when said shaft is driven forward and for rotating said supply roll in a winding direction when said shaft is driven in reverse,

e. a driven feed roll mounted on said frame and adapted to engage and feed a web of cloth from said supply roll to said spreader unit,

f. reversible drive means for selectively driving in a forward mode and in a reverse mode,

g. first forward unidirectional clutch means operatively connecting said drive means to said driven feed roll to drive said feed roll in said feeding direction when said drive means is in its forward mode, and to render said feed roll inoperative to drive said cloth web when said drive means is in its reverse mode,

h. second forward unidirectional clutch means operatively connecting said drive means to said driven shaft to drive said driven shaft forward when said drive means is in its forward mode, and to render said second unidirectional clutch means inoperative to drive said driven shaft when said drive means is in its reverse mode,

reverse unidirectional clutch means operatively connecting said drive means to said driven shaft, said reverse unidirectional clutch means being normally inoperative for driving said driven shaft, and selectively operative to drive said driven shaft in reverse when said drive means is in its reverse mode, and j. actuator means for rendering said reverse unidirectional clutch means operative when said drive means is in its reverse mode, for rotating only said supply roll in its winding direction.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said reverse unidirectional clutch means comprises a first clutch element fixed to said driven shaft and a second cooperative clutch element rotatable on said driven shaft independently of said driven shaft and operatively connected to said drive means for rotation in a forward direction when said drive means is in its forward mode and for rotation in a reverse direction when said driven means is in its reverse mode, said second clutch element being shiftable axially on said driven shaft, and said actuator means comprising means for axially shifting said second clutch element toward and away from engagement with said first clutch element.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said first clutch element comprises laterally projecting lugs, and said second clutch element comprises cam teeth.

4. The invention according to claim 3 in which said shifting means comprises an actuator member operatively connected to said second clutch element and movably mounted on said frame for manual operation to force said first and second clutch elements into driving engagement in the winding direction, said cam teeth causing automatic disengagement of said clutch elements when said driven shaft is driven in said forward direction.

5. The invention according to claim 4 in which said second clutch element comprises an annular groove, and said actuator member comprises a forked arm engaging said annular groove.

6. The invention according to claim 1 in which said second forward unidirectional clutch means comprises a rotary driven member operatively connected to said drive means for rotation in a forward direction when said drive means is in its forward mode and for rotation in a reverse direction when said drive means'is in its reverse mode, an overriding clutch coupling said driven member to said driven shaft for driving said shaft in a forward direction only.

7. The invention according to claim 6 in which said driven member is a sprocket and said drive means comprises a reversible motor and a transmission including a chain for driving said sprocket. 

1. A combined cloth spreading machine and winding mechanism comprising: a. a frame supported for longitudinal movement over a clothlaying surface, b. a spreader unit on said frame to spread cloth in layers upon said cloth-laying surface, c. support means for rotatably supporting a cloth supply roll on said frame, d. said support means including a driven shaft for rotating said supply roll in a feeding direction when said shaft is driven forward and for rotating said supply roll in a winding direction when said shaft is driven in reverse, e. a driven feed roll mounted on said frame and adapted to engage and feed a web of cloth from said supply roll to said spreader unit, f. reversible drive means for selectively driving in a forward mode and in a reverse mode, g. first forward unidirectional clutch means operatively connecting said drive means to said driven feed roll to drive said feed roll in said feeding direction when said drive means is in its forward mode, and to render said feed roll inoperative to drive said cloth web when said drive means is in its reverse mode, h. second forward unidirectional clutch means operatively connecting said drive means to said driven shaft to drive said driven shaft forward when said drive means is in its forward mode, and to render said second unidirectional clutch means inoperative to drive said driven shaft when said drive means is in its reverse mode, i. reverse unidirectional clutch means operatively connecting said drive means to said driven shaft, said reverse unidirectional clutch means being normalLy inoperative for driving said driven shaft, and selectively operative to drive said driven shaft in reverse when said drive means is in its reverse mode, and j. actuator means for rendering said reverse unidirectional clutch means operative when said drive means is in its reverse mode, for rotating only said supply roll in its winding direction.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said reverse unidirectional clutch means comprises a first clutch element fixed to said driven shaft and a second cooperative clutch element rotatable on said driven shaft independently of said driven shaft and operatively connected to said drive means for rotation in a forward direction when said drive means is in its forward mode and for rotation in a reverse direction when said driven means is in its reverse mode, said second clutch element being shiftable axially on said driven shaft, and said actuator means comprising means for axially shifting said second clutch element toward and away from engagement with said first clutch element.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said first clutch element comprises laterally projecting lugs, and said second clutch element comprises cam teeth.
 4. The invention according to claim 3 in which said shifting means comprises an actuator member operatively connected to said second clutch element and movably mounted on said frame for manual operation to force said first and second clutch elements into driving engagement in the winding direction, said cam teeth causing automatic disengagement of said clutch elements when said driven shaft is driven in said forward direction.
 5. The invention according to claim 4 in which said second clutch element comprises an annular groove, and said actuator member comprises a forked arm engaging said annular groove.
 6. The invention according to claim 1 in which said second forward unidirectional clutch means comprises a rotary driven member operatively connected to said drive means for rotation in a forward direction when said drive means is in its forward mode and for rotation in a reverse direction when said drive means is in its reverse mode, an overriding clutch coupling said driven member to said driven shaft for driving said shaft in a forward direction only.
 7. The invention according to claim 6 in which said driven member is a sprocket and said drive means comprises a reversible motor and a transmission including a chain for driving said sprocket. 